Press Association
Claudio Ranieri has urged his Leicester City side to show his former club Chelsea that they are worthy champions this year with a performance to match their status. The Foxes were crowned Premier League winners last week and will parade the trophy through the city’s streets on Monday evening.
“I asked them to show me what we learned during all the season,” Ranieri said of the 3-1 win over Everton. “Always I’ve said the result is not important, but it’s the importance of the performance, how you play. Now we are champions, we have to play like champions. The answer was fantastic. On Sunday, I don’t want the result, I want to see my players show the same attitude and I am happy.”
Chelsea are expected to give Leicester a guard of honour before the game, reviving memories for Ranieri of when he left Stamford Bridge in 2004, to be replaced by José Mourinho. After four years in charge at Stamford Bridge, he remembers how the players, including John Terry and Marcel Desailly, gave him an emotional send-off.
The Italian said: “My players gave me a guard of honour. Desailly and Terry called all their team-mates together because they knew my job had finished there. That was the first time. I think it was one of the more important moments of my sporting life.
“They did it on the pitch. Gary [Staker, Ranieri’s translator at the time] called me to the centre of the pitch and the players made the guard of honour, so when I turned around I saw, - it was amazing.”
Victory at Stamford Bridge would be Ranieri’s 100th in the Premier League and, ahead of his return to west London, he had a message for the home fans. “I want to thank the Chelsea fans. I watched some of them hold up placards with ‘Do it for Ranieri’ on. It was amazing,” he said.
Chelsea’s interim boss, Guus Hiddink, has scarcely benefited from Eden Hazard’s return to form, but believes the Belgium playmaker - who has scored four times in the past four games - can prove the difference for his successor Antonio Conte.
“I’m pleased for this moment, but I would have been more pleased if it could have happened in February,” he said. “It’s important that he’s almost back on his level where he can play and he’s enjoying it. That’s good for the future, for himself, for the Belgium team and for Chelsea.”
“I asked them to show me what we learned during all the season,” Ranieri said of the 3-1 win over Everton. “Always I’ve said the result is not important, but it’s the importance of the performance, how you play. Now we are champions, we have to play like champions. The answer was fantastic. On Sunday, I don’t want the result, I want to see my players show the same attitude and I am happy.”
Chelsea are expected to give Leicester a guard of honour before the game, reviving memories for Ranieri of when he left Stamford Bridge in 2004, to be replaced by José Mourinho. After four years in charge at Stamford Bridge, he remembers how the players, including John Terry and Marcel Desailly, gave him an emotional send-off.
The Italian said: “My players gave me a guard of honour. Desailly and Terry called all their team-mates together because they knew my job had finished there. That was the first time. I think it was one of the more important moments of my sporting life.
“They did it on the pitch. Gary [Staker, Ranieri’s translator at the time] called me to the centre of the pitch and the players made the guard of honour, so when I turned around I saw, - it was amazing.”
Victory at Stamford Bridge would be Ranieri’s 100th in the Premier League and, ahead of his return to west London, he had a message for the home fans. “I want to thank the Chelsea fans. I watched some of them hold up placards with ‘Do it for Ranieri’ on. It was amazing,” he said.
Chelsea’s interim boss, Guus Hiddink, has scarcely benefited from Eden Hazard’s return to form, but believes the Belgium playmaker - who has scored four times in the past four games - can prove the difference for his successor Antonio Conte.
“I’m pleased for this moment, but I would have been more pleased if it could have happened in February,” he said. “It’s important that he’s almost back on his level where he can play and he’s enjoying it. That’s good for the future, for himself, for the Belgium team and for Chelsea.”
